Breaking! 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Movie Gets A Release Date!

The film adaptation of the first installment of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is due to hit theaters ...

August 1, 2014!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Focus Features announced its official release date for the scorching novel by E.L. James, which just so happens to traditionally be one of the hottest days of the year—coincidence?

The film will be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (after rumors that Angelina Jolie or Gus Van Sant would direct), with the script adaption coming from Kelly Marcel (though American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis expressed interest in penning the screenplay), and will be released domestically first with a worldwide release to follow. E.L. James has signed on as a producer and was active in choosing both the director and the producers.

After edging out several other production companies during an auction, Focus and Universal paid $5 million for film rights to the bestselling trilogy back in March 2012, just a few months after the third installment, Fifty Shades Freed, published.

The best news about learning the release date? Announcing the cast will follow! Since word of a film adaptation first began, the entire Grey fan base has been speculating/fantasizing as to who will play Christian and Anastasia. For Christian, there's been talk of Ian Somerhalder, Ryan Gosling, and Ed Westwick. Alexander Skarsgard told Access Hollywood that he was "born to play" the part of Christian when he heard the character had a sex den. And Chace Crawford has been a frontrunner ever since he joked that he's "only comfortable with S&M sex scenes." James Franco and Jake Gyllenhaal have also said they'd consider the role.